Beginner looking for Power Tool Advice

[Eoin Ryans]

Hi All,

I'm new here, looks like a great forum! I am starting woodworking as a weekend hobby, and intend on building items such as shelving, a workbench, picnic table and possibly graduate up to a coffee table when skills improve. Will probably work with softwood for practise, and hardwood where possible. Certainly, items for final build I will make from hardwood.

My tools currently consist of a powerful corded drill, drill press adaptor (to help me drill straight holes!), some clamps, and the very basic tools that most homes would have such as hammers, screwdrivers, handsaws etc.

My question is in relation to adding to this tool set - As I only have a hand saw, I am looking at buying some type of powered saw. What I have in mind is a handheld circular saw (or skillsaw) or else a table saw, such as this: http://www.godfrey-diy.co.uk/index.php?sc=32009430&page=show-product

My question is, what saw would be more useful to have or is there a need for both types?

Please can you offer you advise?

Thanks

[Jim Andrew]

Welcome to the creek, Eoin. Take it you are from the UK? Did you have any training in school about the safe operation of power equipment? If you have not, you might check to see if there are any classes available. Over here in the colonys, many government schools offer evening classes in woodworking. Taking a class is a chance for you to receive safety training and also opportunity to try various pieces of equipment so you can become familiar with them. Good luck, and remember, safety first! Jim

[Finnian Dawson]

Thanks Jim, i am extremely safety conscious. I did woodworking classes when i was 16 years old! I've already looked at videos on the dangers of kickback.

[Dave Sims]

I would recommend purchasing the best tablesaw you can afford. A splitter is a must and a riving knife is a good idea. I use my table saw on every project. I think it would be your go to tool as well for the projects you listed.

[Finnian Dawson]

If i get a table saw, will a skill/circular saw be unnecessary?

[Jim Foster]

If you don't plan on doing much with sheet goods, it might be worthwhile to go through the pro's and con's of a bandsaw vs. a tablesaw. In the past, I've always thought a tablesaw was the first stationary tool to get. If I was starting out again with my current interest in mostly rough lumber, I might pick a bandsaw first. Also, some of the handheld circular saws or track saws are very capable at breaking down sheet goods these days, and may be better than a tablesaw for a number of tasks. Most of the ripping I do on my tablesaw would be better served with a well setup bandsaw I think.

Edit: It takes a pretty big extension table to accurately break down and work with sheet goods on a tablesaw. A good handheld track saw may be a much better tool for this task especially if space is at a premium. A good track saw and a few sawhorses offer a great deal of flexibility that can't be matched easily with a tablesaw without a sliding table extension

A good workbench is also an important aspect to enjoying the hobby and safety in my mind.

[Jeff Monson]

If i get a table saw, will a skill/circular saw be unnecessary?

Yes, unless you work with alot of sheet goods. A good tablesaw with a nice crosscut sled is a VERY nice combination for woodworking, accurate crosscuts and accurate ripping. Just make sure whatever saw you end up with, that you take the time to set it up correctly. Make a good sled (will take a couple hours) there are tons of nice ones here, just do a search. This will give you a really nice foundation for getting stock to very accurate dimensions. I started out with a Delta contractors saw, it worked very well for me until I was ready to move up.

[Dave Sims]

A circular saw with guide or a track saw would serve to break a full 4' x 8' sheet down to manageable pieces to then send through a table saw. I sometimes will use a circular saw with guide for this if I am working by myself. You would still need a way to make accurate cross cuts though.

[Michael W. Clark]

For the bookcases and picknick table, you could definitely build these with a circular saw. You may need a router if you are doing any grooves or dados. If you are building the coffee table out of hardwood, a tablesaw (or even a bandsaw) is going to be invaluable. I started out with a circular saw, jig saw, and a router. I still use all three today for various things even with having most of the stationary machines.

My advice would be to pick projects based on need/want and the tools you have or are willing to buy for the project. When I started, my thought process was to ease into it (financially) to make sure it was something I liked before spending a lot of money on tools to find out that I didn't like it that much. About 10 years later, I enjoy woodworking more now than I ever thought I would.

The advice on the good sled and setup is spot on. Buying the best tools you can at the time also minimizes replacement costs later when you have the desire for better tools (which will happen). Good luck and welcome.

Mike

[Finnian Dawson]

Thanks guys. Sorry i didn't make it clear, i purchased a makita 5704rk circular hand saw today as it was on discount at my local hardware store

in light of this, would a band saw be a better purchase next instead of a circular table saw?

[Mark Ashmeade]

Finnian/Eoin (which is it?)

The truth is, you won't get much in the way of woodworking power tools in the UK without spending ridiculous amounts of money. If you look at the New Yankee Workshop, which I know was shown over there, that will give you an insight into what the guys here have in their shops. If you compare the tools available in Europe to those available here, the ones here are much more widely available and competitively priced. Looking at Amazon.co.uk, you could buy a very small bandsaw for about double what you likely paid for your Makita saw. For the same money here, you'd get a 14" cast-iron saw, with a wide variety of blades available, riser blocks and so on.

On the table saw front, you'd be able to buy a benchtop job, which is a very different proposition from a floor-standing, cast-iron, induction-motored machine. The sleds referred to ride in the mitre slots, which a benchtop saw may either not have two of, or even if it does, may not be the standard size.

Don't get me wrong, you CAN find imported American market machinery (which itself is mostly imported here), but it is rare, and expensive. Top end European machines are similarly expensive here.

I'd stick with a bandsaw rather than a benchtop table saw, but hardwood will tax the little ones.

On the positive side, European market machines tend to have more powerful motors at a given market position.

[Eoin Ryans]

Finnian/Eoin (which is it?)

The truth is, you won't get much in the way of woodworking power tools in the UK without spending ridiculous amounts of money. If you look at the New Yankee Workshop, which I know was shown over there, that will give you an insight into what the guys here have in their shops. If you compare the tools available in Europe to those available here, the ones here are much more widely available and competitively priced. Looking at Amazon.co.uk, you could buy a very small bandsaw for about double what you likely paid for your Makita saw. For the same money here, you'd get a 14" cast-iron saw, with a wide variety of blades available, riser blocks and so on.

On the table saw front, you'd be able to buy a benchtop job, which is a very different proposition from a floor-standing, cast-iron, induction-motored machine. The sleds referred to ride in the mitre slots, which a benchtop saw may either not have two of, or even if it does, may not be the standard size.

Don't get me wrong, you CAN find imported American market machinery (which itself is mostly imported here), but it is rare, and expensive. Top end European machines are similarly expensive here.

I'd stick with a bandsaw rather than a benchtop table saw, but hardwood will tax the little ones.

On the positive side, European market machines tend to have more powerful motors at a given market position.

Sorry about that, logged in using our communal pc here in universiity, which has web access. Finnian is in my class, and we are both on the lookout for local woodwork classes! Thanks for your feedback. Will try to keep an eye out for a used bandsaw.